Cylinder cover for washing machines



C. F. ANDERSON AND L. W. KNAPP. CYLINDER COVER FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJB, I9I9.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

UNITED STATES CARL F." ANDERSON, OF BROOKFIELD, AND LESTER lV. KNAPP, ASSIGNORS TO CONLON ELECTRIC COMPANY, O

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PATENT OFFICE. f

or BnawYN, ILLINOIS, I' creano, ILLINOIS, A

CYLINDER COVER FOR VIASHING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented iwal. 21 1922 Application lecl August 18, 1919. Serial No. 318,080.

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to cylinder covers for washing machines. l

Cur invention is generally concerned with washing machines of the type employing oscillatory or rotary clothes containers, and

aims to provide an improved door orcover member for closing the opening in .the container through which the clothes or other articles are inserted.

Heretofore, these covers have beenheld in place by swivel fasteners and similar devices, which are objectionable tor numerous reasons. First, they are either diiiicult to operate or are insecure because of the swelling tendency of the wood in which they are pivoted, and in the latter case Otten release the cover when the cylinder is in motion, with a resultantjamming of the cover beT tween the cylinder and the tub. Second, they projectl from the smooth vperiphery ot' thecylinder in an objectionable manner and have a tendency to catch the clothes. Our invention overcomes these prior objections by providing a cover for washing machine containers which yemploys a positive locking arrangement between the cover and cylinder. In this novel locking arrangement there is no possibility' OI ,the cover 'becomingacoidentally released during the running oi' the machine, and furthermore, this locking arrangement has an entire absenceof` projecting parts which Vmight catch i the clothes.v Though the `cover is securely.

locked against accidental release, it nevertheless can be easily and quickly released and inserted when desired.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated one preferred form of our invention;

F igure 1 is a fragmentary plan view ofa Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the same taken on the line of vFigure 1; v

Figure 3 is an isolated sectional view taken approximately on the line 3l-'3 of Figure 2;

I* igure 4L is a detail sectional view orn the plunger button; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 oit Figure 2.

Figure 1 illustrates a fragmentary portion of a washing machine cylinder, adjacent t-lie opening'V provided for the. in-

sertion ot the clothes or other articles tok be washed. This washing-'machine cylinder is composed 'of wood or metal, and comprises the Atwo end heads G and 7, joined together by the pluralityY of spaced slats 8 which are arranged circunierentially about the cylinder. At their ends,` the slats 8-8 are 'set in an annular grooveor depression 9 cut in the periphery'ofeach of the endl heads G and 7.y I preferably turned out Vin lelliptical formation, so as to compensate for the cross grain expansion oi' the wood. The general ellipticall formation of the end heads is disclosed in the application Lot Conlon and Moran, Serial No. 158,41),'iiled March 29, 1917,

while the machine for making theparticulanA construction of end head above described is washing machine cylinder illust-rating the i removable cover in place;

made the subject matter of theco-pendingV application oil` CarlV F. Anderson, tiled on August 27, 1920. vunder Serial No. 406,388.

`We mayalso state thattliojslats ai'e of` theftype made bythe improved .form of wood working machine illustrated vin our 'copendingapplicatiomSerial No.332',953, tiled Oct. aan, i919. j l

The opening inthe cylinder,.for ,thel insertion ofthe clothes is defined by two parallel bracingmembeirsf12and 13, which extend longitudinally between the endheads the end heads 6 and 7 t rough suitable-inortise'` and tenon joints 30 (Figure 5). Thel j6 and 7 and are inclined radiallyI inward to-1l ward the center of the-cylinder'ja's shown in 'Figure 2. The opposite ends Oi the bracing. members 12 and 13 are 1preferably:v secured-tovY joints maintain the end heads 6 and 7 in proper spaced relation. In the limited portion of the periphery between the two bracing members 12 and 13, each head 6 and 7 is cut down flush with the groove or depresf sion 9 to form a smooth flat surface :for the support of the cover member 111.

The coverV member 14 comprises the series of spaced apertured slats 17, similar to the slats 8, and the two segmental cross pieces 15, which connect the ends of the slats 17. The slats 17 are nailed or otherwise secured to the cross pieces 15, and in the locked position of the cover the ends oi these slats are arranged fto come flush with the outer surfaces of the heads 6 and l7. It will be noted from Figure 2, that directly over the bracing members 12 and 13 are nailed two locking slats, designated 8 and 8 respectively. These locking slats. project from the'members 12 and 13 in such a manner as to overlapthe ends of' the cross pieces 15, and nermally lock the cover member' 14 in the cylin-.

der opening. y

The removal of the cover member 14 is e'fl'ectcd by the lateral shittingof the same across the cylinder opening, the cover member being shiftable from the 'i'ull line position,.corresponding to the locked condition,

to the dotted line position corresponding to the releasedcondition (Figures 1 and 3'). It will be noted that the left cross piece 15 is set inward from the end head 6 to allow of this lateralshifting of themcover member.

The lower projecting ends of the cross pieces 15 are chamfered ofi' to tornil beveled tongues 18, which, in thedotted line position of the cover, are adapted to passthrough the `two tapered slots 19 which are cut in the locking Slat 8. The cover member 1+i is normally retained in its locked position with the tongues and slots 18 and 19 ont of regis ter, by aspring plunger button 21 which is set into the body of the head 6. The center slot 17 is out off short to provide an abut- A ment for engaging the plunger button 21.

flush with the top of the slat 17.

This plunger button comprises a reduced shank 22 which passes down through sheet metal tube 23, in which is confined a compression spring 24. The lower end of the tube 23 is crimpedover to support the spring 24=,th`e` upper end of the springbearing against the enlarged portion 25 of the plunger button. The end of the shank 22 is headed as indicated at 26 to engagethe bottom of the tube`23 and retain the button 21 The upper edge of the tube 23 is rolled outwardly in the form of aheady 27 for preventing the tube 23 from being pressed downwardly in the hole in the head 6.l The button 21 is ar- "ranged to seat `in a depression or counterbore 28 inthe periphery of the head.

To remove the cover, the button 21 is depressed and the cover is slid sidewi se to bring the tongues and slots 18 and 19 into register. The iree edge of the cover is then raised and the cover is drawn forwardly to withdraw the other endsvof the cross pieces 15 from under the locking slat 8". The manner oi replacing the cover will be obvious from the foregoing description.

Y IVe do not intend to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

W'e claim:

1.. In combination, a horizontal cylinder., adapted to be rotatedon its axis, said cylinder having a lateral opening, a cover for said opening, locking means on the cylinder and on the cover adapted to be brought into register to release the cover from the cylinderand secondary locking means for preventing said loclring means from coming into register. l

2. In combination, a washing machine conrainer having an opening therein for the insertion of clothes, a cover member for closing said opening, guide means for guiding said cover member in lateral shifting movement across said opening, an d locking means for locking said cover member over said opening, said locking means being released and engaged by the lateral shitting o'E said cover member. i

In combination, a washing machine cylinder having anopening therein for theV Y ing said opening, said cover member having lateral shifting motion over said opening, and tongue and slot locking means between said cylinder and saidcover member adapted to be released and engaged by thepshiiiting motion of said cover member. Y

4^. In a washing machine, a washing ma# chine cylinder having an opening therein for the insertion of cl'othes,a cover memberV for closing said opening, cri-operating tongues `and slots on said container" and said cover member, said tongues and slots when in registration permitting insertion or removal o'l' said cover member, and guide means ,for guiding said cover member in lateral motion to shift said tongues and slots out oi? regis tration. f Y

5. In a washing machine,- a' cylinder l1aving an opening therein for the insertion et clothes, a removablel cover member for closing said opening, tongues on said cover member adapted to cooperate with slots in said cylinder for locking Said covermember in place, guide means for guiding said cover member in lateral shifting motion for bring ing said tongues and slots into andout of registration, and releasable detent means for insertion of clothes, a cover member adapted to cover said opening, tongues projecting from said cover member adapted to cooperate with notches provided in the margin of said openings, guide means adapting said cover member for lateral shifting motion across said openings, the shifting motion of said cover member adapted to bring said tongues and slots into and out of registration, and a plunger button engaging' said cover member and adapted to retain the same in position with said tongues and slots out of registration.

7. In combination, a washing machine cylinder. having an opening therein for the insertion of clothes, said cylinder comprising two end heads joined by a plurality of slats, a cover member adapted to close said opening, said cover member comprising two cross pieces joined by a plurality of slats, said cross pieces having tongues projecting from the edge of said cover member, said tongues adapted to pass through slots cut in the cylinder slats along the margin of said opening, the other end of said cross pieces adapted to engage under the cylinder slats along the other margin of said opening, said cover member adapted for lateral shifting motion in said openingto bring said tongues and slots into and out of registration, and a spring plunger button in the end head of said cylinder and engaging said cover member for retaining the same in its locked position.

:8. In combination, a washing machine cylinder having an opening therein for the insertion of clothes, a cover for said opening adapted to have. lateral displacement, and means for positively holding said cover in locked osition over said opening whereby lateral shifting in either direction to allow outwarddisplacement is prevented.

9. In combination, a washing machine cylinder having an opening therein for the insertion of clothes, a removable cover for said opening, said cover adapted to be removed therefrom by lateral shifting and radial movement relative to said cylinder, said lateral shifting in the direction of displacement being prevented to prohibit accidental radial displacement of the cover.

10. In combination, a cylinder having an opening therein and a removable cover therefor. said cover removed from said opening by lateral displacement, and means adjacent, the edge of and lying in the direction of lateral shifting of said cover restraining said l lateral displacement.

11. In combination, a cylinder comprising head members and a plurality of spacing members, certain of said spacing members adapted to form a cover for said cylinder, said cover adapted to have lateral movement for removal thereof from said cylinder, and plunger means disposed in one of the head members projecting in the path of said cover to prevent displacement of the same when in position on the cylinder.

12. In combination, a cylinder comprising head members and a plurality of spacing members, certain of said spacing members removable from said cylinder to form a cover therefor, said cover adapted to be laterally shifted when removing from the cylinder, a plunger disposed in one of said heads, and projecting in the path of said cover, said plunger comprising a sleeve member within said head limiting the upward movement of the plunger and' confining a spring between the ends thereof, the upper 'portion of said plunger lying substantially flush lwith said cover.

cylinder having an opening therein for the insertion of clothes, a removable cover for said opening, means disposed within said cylinder preventing outward displacement of said cover, and means lying substantially within the circumferential dimension of said cylinder preventing lateral shifting of said cover.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe our names this 12th day of August, 1919.

CARL F. ANDERSON. LESTER W. KNAPP.

13. In combination, a washing machine 

